Gerry's Opportunity
The next day, weary from the long strain of the rehearsals and the final
production of their play, and feeling a comfortable sense of relaxation
following a labor well accomplished, the Sunrise Camp Fire members spent
an unusually quiet day.
Mrs. Burton remained in her little house resting and reading.
After accomplishing the necessary domestic tasks, Mrs. Webster and the
girls sat about in little groups, knitting and talking over the
unexpectedly brilliant success of their play.
Of the Camp Fire girls, Gerry Williams alone kept apart from the others
for the greater part of the day. Now and then she would appear with her
knitting and dropping down beside some one would remain for perhaps half
an hour, but seldom longer. By the end of that time she seemed to grow
restless and would start off on walks by herself, but never a great
distance from camp. Once disappearing inside her sleeping tent, which
was unoccupied, she stayed there alone for several hours.
No one paid any particular attention to Gerry or realized that she was
in an unusual frame of mind. The Camp Fire girls had spent so many
months together that they did not take one another's moods seriously;
besides, Gerry was not an especial favorite or intimate with any one of
the girls except Sally Ashton. And Sally frequently considered Gerry far
too addicted to moods, which were disturbing to her own comfortable
placidity.
Indeed, Gerry's only real friend in the Sunrise Camp Fire, the only
person who in any way understood her temperament and the circumstances
of her past sufficiently well to offer her real sympathy and affection,
was Mrs. Burton.
On this same day it chanced that Dan Webster was away looking after a
small business matter.
Billy was engaged with his labors at the war camp. But now that the play
was over Mrs. Webster was beginning to concern herself more seriously
with the behavior of her erratic son. Billy had taken advantage of the
absorption of his family and friends to continue to pursue his own way
in an even more determined and secretive fashion.
If Mrs. Burton had not spent the day inside her house, whether or not
she would have observed Gerry's restlessness, her troubled expression,
her moments of pallor and the swift flush succeeding them, no one can
say.
Certainly all that day never for long did Gerry have Mrs. Burton out of
her mind. First she would think of Felipe and what he had asked of her
and then immediately after of Mrs. Burton's friendship and kindness.
The facts of Gerry's life were commonplace enough, but for that reason
they seemed to Gerry the harder to endure.
Her mother and father had married when they were young and clerking
together in a small village store. After Gerry's birth they conceived
the idea of becoming traveling sales people.
When Gerry was a tiny child they tried taking her about with them, often
leaving her alone for long, lonely hours in strange hotel rooms. After
she grew older, arrangements were made for her to board in Chicago, the
city her parents visited oftener than any other. But when Gerry was
fourteen her father died and a year later her mother married a little
town store keeper.
It was at this time Gerry Williams realized she would be forced to face
the future for herself. It is true her mother and stepfather offered her
a home with them and the opportunity to work in their shop. But Gerry
had never cared for her mother and now hated her stepfather, while the
thought of the little town store was abhorrent. Yet there was no
particular reason for this attitude save that Gerry had always been
antagonistic to her environment for as long as she could remember.
She was so utterly unlike her own people both in appearance, manner and
nature that she was a puzzle to all of them. No one of them could have
told from whom she inherited her delicate prettiness, her love of luxury
and refinement.
One day, learning of Mrs. Burton's presence in Chicago, suddenly Gerry
conceived the idea of going to her and applying for the position of
maid. If she must work she thought that she would like better than most
things to live with a famous woman and perhaps travel with her and see
something of the world.
At the moment of Gerry's arrival it chanced that by accident Mrs. Burton
was at home and free from other engagements, so she decided to see and
talk to her. Naturally Gerry was too young and untrained for the
position she desired; moreover, Mrs. Burton had no need for the services
of a maid, since Marie had been living with her a number of years. But
she grew interested in her pretty guest, and feeling the need of
sympathy, Gerry was glad to pour forth her story.
Ever after this visit, although no member of her family aside from her
husband had been informed of the fact, Mrs. Burton had been paying
Gerry's board in Chicago during the winters, only urging her to try to
educate herself for some work in the future. For several summers, as we
know, Gerry had been invited to be a member of the Sunrise Camp Fire
group.
Therefore in a measure Gerry realized how poor a return she would be
offering should she slip away with Felipe without confessing her
intention to Mrs. Burton.
Not once, but perhaps a dozen times, her mind was almost made up to find
Mrs. Burton and tell her everything. For Gerry believed that by some
method she could induce her friend to understand how deeply she cared
for Felipe. There would be the argument of youth against their immediate
marriage; but youth is not always _only_ a question of the number of
years one has lived, and Gerry felt convinced that she suddenly had
grown old.
Nevertheless there was always this stumbling block. How could she
acknowledge her own intention and Felipe's without betraying Felipe's
secret? To divulge the fact that he was planning to escape military
service by crossing over the border into Mexico and hiding there was out
of the question.
Undoubtedly Gerry should have more fully appreciated the enormity of
Felipe's purpose, his selfishness and disloyalty. Strange that she
should expect to find happiness with a man who wished to begin their
life together by an act of deception and cowardice! Nevertheless, by
this time one must have learned to understand Gerry's disposition
sufficiently well to accept the fact that she did not _fully_
understand, so completely was she under Felipe's influence. Yet Felipe
must not be allowed to bear the entire burden of their wrong doing.
Certainly Gerry was not marrying Felipe for his sake only, but also for
the happiness and the ease which she believed the future would insure
her.
Notwithstanding this, since life is seldom guided by one clear motive,
but by many mixed ones, Gerry was also ardently and sincerely in love.
Her failure to grasp the extent of the danger she and Felipe were facing
and the possible injury to her own reputation was due to three causes.
The first of these was sheer stupidity, the second an actual lack of
education and the third Gerry's conviction that this was her solitary
chance for saving Felipe from the difficulties and dangers of a
soldier's life and at the same time securing him for herself.
In the end, as one might have guessed, Gerry Williams made no
confession.
Instead, in the hours when she had remained alone in her sleeping tent,
she had packed a few possessions in her satchel, hiding the bag under
her bed and wondering at the same time how she would ever manage to get
it away the next day without exciting comment.
The next day Fortune appeared to favor Gerry, as the fickle Dame does
now and then, when one had best be thwarted.
Immediately after their luncheon the Camp Fire girls decided to go upon
a long walk. So much time had been given to the rehearsals of "As You
Like It" that they had been exercising far less than usual in the past
weeks.
The wool for knitting and materials for making bandages having recently
given out, Mrs. Webster offered to go into town with Dan to buy whatever
was required.
So, through a combination of quite ordinary circumstances, Sunrise camp
was deserted except by Mrs. Burton, Marie and Gerry.
Mrs. Burton did not feel equal to the long hike and Gerry simply
declined without giving a reason.
Since her farewell to Felipe about thirty hours before, she had received
no word from him and yet this afternoon Gerry knew he would appear. Now
and then she even hoped he would not come, at least not until the next
day, or even the one after that.
Soon after the other girls departed, Mrs. Burton asked Gerry to sit
beside her and talk while she rested in the sunshine.
A small fire was always kept burning at Sunrise camp, no matter how warm
the day, for the small amount of heat made no appreciable difference and
the fire was always being needed for cooking.
So Marie arranged an Indian blanket upon the ground away from the
windward side of the fire and then went into her tent to write letters.
Afterwards Mrs. Burton lay down in such a position that she could look
closely at Gerry.
In the few minutes they had been together without the others, she had
noticed that Gerry looked pale and depressed.
"You are not worrying over anything, Gerry?" Mrs. Burton asked.
Gerry shook her head. "Certainly not. What have I to worry about--except
everything?"
Perhaps it was unfortunate that Mrs. Burton chose this time to talk to
Gerry about her future, although, since her mind really was made up,
probably nothing would have altered her decision.
"I don't want to worry you, or to have you worry, dear," Mrs. Burton
began, "but I do wish it were possible for you to find some occupation
that would interest you. It would make you ever so much happier! Forgive
me if I have seen that you are more restless, less content than the
other Camp Fire girls. And whatever work you wish to do, I do not wish
you to go into it unprepared, a woman needs more training these days to
make a success than a man. It has meant so much to me to give my time
and energy to the art I love. I want you to have the same luck, Gerry."
Then Mrs. Burton reached out her hand, but her companion did not seem to
observe it.
"I am sorry, I know I am a disappointment," she answered. "But the
trouble with me is that I am stupid and no work of any character
interests me. I might as well tell you the truth."
For a moment Mrs. Burton did not reply. Gerry's answer had made her
impatient, and for this reason she felt it best not to argue.
"Very well, perhaps the interest will come later. You are young enough
to wait, Gerry, and please do not think I am not more than anxious to
help you. You know it is only on your account I worry. I so wish the
circumstances of your life were happier, my dear. I hate your being
lonely."
Then as Gerry's eyes were filling with tears and when she was having a
struggle not to break down entirely and make her confession, she and
Mrs. Burton both heard at the same instant a gay voice singing as it
approached nearer to them:
"It was a lover and his lass,
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino."
"Here comes _Touchstone_, Gerry! What a charming voice Felipe has! I
know you must feel relieved to be released from such a prosy talk as we
were having."
If Felipe had not been a particularly successful actor at the production
of their play, Gerry was amazed by his present acting.
He had suggested that they were either to motor or to drive away from
Sunrise camp. Now he appeared on foot in the most casual fashion with
his guitar swung over his shoulder.
After bowing politely to Gerry, he immediately dropped down upon the
ground beside Mrs. Burton and finished his song:
"And therefore take the present time,
With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino;
For love is crowned with the prime
In springtime...."
Nor did Felipe rise, or ask that Gerry be allowed to walk with him after
his song was concluded. He merely continued talking in a casual fashion
with Mrs. Burton.
In half an hour, having finished their errands unexpectedly early, Mrs.
Webster and Dan returned to camp. Dan went away immediately to put up
the car and Mrs. Burton arose to go indoors with her sister.
Not until then did Felipe ask that Gerry be allowed to walk with him. He
made the request with apparent indifference.
Mrs. Burton hesitated.
"Gerry thought she was too tired to walk with the girls! But never mind.
If you won't go very far or stay too long, I suppose I must pay my
actors in some fashion for their services, and I have had no opportunity
to thank you."
Then, as she moved away, she called back:
"Don't forget to take your coat or a sweater with you, Gerry; it may
turn unexpectedly cool."
So Gerry, feeling that her face was flushing crimson and her hands
becoming like ice, was able to disappear inside her tent at the moment
she desired.
When she came out with her satchel the coat was hanging over it;
besides, there was no one in sight to observe her own and Felipe's
departure.
But the moment they started Felipe said quickly:
"Don't be worried, Gerry darling. I have a motor waiting for us about a
mile away and my old nurse is there to take care of you. Her husband is
with her and they are perfectly respectable and devoted to me. They will
come back as soon as we are safely married and let Mrs. Burton and
father know. They can't tell them _where_ we have gone, of course. They
can simply say we have gone on a honeymoon. It will be all right. Lots
of people run away and are married; it saves such a lot of fuss for one
thing. Later on, if you like, we can write where we are, because neither
Mrs. Burton nor father would betray us. I want, if possible, to cross
over the border into Mexico tonight at dusk."
The rest of the afternoon passed like a strange and not a happy dream to
Gerry.
But whatever arrangements were necessary, whatever the law required of
them, Felipe seemed to have managed all the formalities. As they drove
from one place to another Gerry sat in the back of the automobile next
to Felipe's old nurse, not even making an effort to talk to her and
saying nothing to Felipe. Now and then Felipe made little anxious
inquiries to find out if she were all right and Gerry only nodded her
head in reply.
In the house of a clergyman in a small town not many miles away the
ceremony was finally performed. Gerry declared that her parents had
given their consent, knowing well enough they would be delighted to hear
of her marriage. Felipe Morris was of course several years more than the
legal age. Besides Felipe's nurse and her husband the wife and daughter
of the clergyman also appeared as witnesses.
But when the moment came for parting with their companions, Gerry begged
that she be allowed to write a note to Mrs. Burton. The note was very
short; Gerry scarcely understood what she was writing, nevertheless it
said a great deal:
"DEAR MRS. BURTON:
"You will never be able to forgive me and I know I do not
deserve that you should. Only pray I may be happy, because now
the wedding ceremony is over and Felipe Morris and I are
married, I am dreadfully frightened.
"Yours with all love,
"GERRY."
The rest of the late afternoon was even more like a strange dream.
At the border between Mexico and the United States Felipe managed
successfully to deceive the guard. He had changed his costume and wore a
Mexican one, he spoke Spanish and gave a name which was not his own.
Gerry, who was wearing a veil tied closely about her head, the guard
scarcely noticed.
Felipe explained that he and his wife had driven over into California
earlier in the day and were now on their way back to their home in
Mexico. By a stroke of good fortune the guard had only been on duty a
few hours, having changed places with another soldier. Therefore he had
no way of disproving Felipe's story; moreover, he happened to be new to
his work.
Never so long as she lived was Gerry to forget her first sight of the
strange desert land of Mexico, which she saw when dusk was falling.
The earth was a sea of sand with funny little hut-like houses sprinkled
here and there, hung with gay signs written in a language Gerry did not
comprehend. Beyond them was a fringe of high bare hills, now purple in
the evening shadows.
Suddenly she realized her own and Felipe's exile. They were without home
or country; worse, they were deserters.
For fear he was suffering an even deeper regret and remorse than had
laid hold upon her, Gerry dared not look or speak to Felipe as their car
carried them further and further away from their friends.